


And I heard you crying, won't you cry on me?

by Elisexyz



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s02e05 Difficult Conversations, F/M, Grace gets a hug. that's it.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29496999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elisexyz/pseuds/Elisexyz
Summary: He lasts three sniffles before he has to do something about it. (2x05 coda)
Relationships: Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 79
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	And I heard you crying, won't you cry on me?

**Author's Note:**

> The good thing about how the episode ended is that there’s no proof that Judd didn’t give her a hug afterwards. Enjoy!  
>  The title is from "Heard you crying" by Michael Schulte.

He lasts three sniffles before he has to do something about it.

She’s trying to be quiet, he can tell, and that is why he stays still, eyes to the ceiling, for as long he can bear to: she is lying on her side, as far away as she can get from him, showing her back to keep him from seeing her tears, so she is not being _subtle_ about wanting to be left alone, but—he just can’t. He isn’t sure leaving her be is the right choice, because it _certainly_ doesn’t feel like it is.

He sighs, turning on his side and staring at Grace’s turned back for a few moments. She stills and falls silent, and he can’t tell whether she’s hoping that he will say something or not.

At first, he was kind of hoping that she would go to him on her own. She didn’t, trying to muffle her pain so that it wouldn’t reach him instead, and it isn’t _surprising_ , not really: he knows her strength, he loves her for it, but sometimes she is not as good at asking for help as she is at offering it to him. He just hopes that she will want to accept it when he’ll offer, which he _will_ , because he’d certainly rather try and get rejected than going on as it is, listening to her crying and doing nothing about it.

“Hey,” he says, quietly, though in the tense silence filling the room it feels all too loud. He reaches out, his fingers tentatively landing on her shoulder. “C’m here?”

A few moments go by, his hand itching with the need to grip her tighter, to _pull_ her towards him, and eventually she sniffles, more loudly than before. “I still don’t wanna talk about it,” she says, her voice shaky. She still manages to instil some authority into it, and, mixed with the relief at having broken the loop of silence and misery, it’s almost enough to make him smile.

“That’s alright,” he says, moving his hand up and down her arm, because that wasn’t a _no_ so maybe he can dare. “We don’t have to talk.”

That seems to do it, and she’s quick enough to roll on her side, shifting until she’s lying with her forehead pressed at the base of his neck and her arms squeezed between them, palms on his chest. He locks his arms around her, resting his chin on her hair and letting out a slow breath.

“I’m sorry,” he can’t help murmuring, because he _is_ , he’s sorry that she has to feel like this, sorry that for a second, when she told him that she already knew, he felt a little relieved that he didn’t have to be one to tell her and watch her world crumble, sorry that he can do nothing much to help.

She doesn’t answer, shaking a little as she starts crying again, her hands clasping his shirt as she pulls at him, as if she could get him to come closer. There isn’t enough space between them for that, but he squeezes her a little tighter, hoping that it will be enough.

He doesn’t let himself fall asleep until she has quieted down.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates comments, including: 
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


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